Vehicle body



Feb. 10, 1931.- c. E. SMITH l I 1,791,643

VEHICLE BODY Filed July 2. 1928 ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 10,1931

UNITED STATES PATEN oF icEf CHRIS E. SMITH, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE MURRAY GOR'EORATION OF AMERICA, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

VEHICLE BODY A pp1ication filed July 2', 1928. Serial No. 289,641.

One of the objects of my invention is to provide an efficient and simple counterbal-- vide in combination with a deck lid, spring means which will operate to pull against the restraint of the latches securing said lid to open and closed positions and thereby obviate rattling. I V

- A further object of my invention is to provide in combination with such a lid and spring means for counterbalancin'g the. same,

. anchors for the spring means towhich said spring means may be jadjustably connected for regulating theirtension.

invention consists in certain features of construction and combinatlons of, parts to be hereinafter described with reference to V the accompanying drawing, and then claimed,

having'the above and other objects inview; Fig.' 1 is a vertical longitudinal section takenthrough a vehicle body embodying my invention and showing the right-hand side of the body interior. i I

Fig.2 is an elevation'of the leftside ofthe rear portion ofthe vehicle body embodying my invention having parts broken away to better illustrate the construction.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken longitudinally ofa vehicle body embodying my invention and illustrating my deck lid latching means and one form of the remote control for said latching means.

Fig. 1 is 'a section takenon line44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 F ig. 1. r i

Fig. 6 is a perspective of the anchormem ber to which the counterbalancing springs areattached'. r I

Fig. 7 'is a fragmentary sectional view is a section taken on lineg 5 5 of taken through the longitudinal centerline of the deck lid and the transverse center line of the frame member against which it abuts when in open position, showing the means for latching the lid in open position. I

Fig. 8 is a view taken on line 88 ofFig. 7. Fig. 9 shows a modification in form of the spring anchor members which may beiembodied in my construction.

Ihave shown a passenger vehicle body designated generally by the numeral. 10 having a passenger compartment 11, and to the rear thereof anenclosed deck section designated generally by the numeral .12. In the top of the section is provided a movablerlid which conforms to the upper surface line of the section, and towhich is securedat its under sides and intermediate itsends supportingbrackets, 16 on the right side,-and 17 on the left side. These brackets are in the general form of a Y with the ends of the. two adjacentflegs of the Y suitably secured to the lid 15. The brackets 16 and 17' are secured at the converging point of their legsto pivots 18 and 19 which'in turn are secured to the intermediate portion of the frame members 20 and 21'. To the ends of the unattachedarms 22' and 23 of the 'Y members 16 and 17 are attached 'theends of coil springs 24 and 25. Secured to the hori- Zontal sill members 27 and 28 of the body, forwardly of theframe members 20 and 21 are anchor plates 29' and 30 having upper edges provided with a plurality ofapertures as shown. The unattached ends of the springs 24- and 25 are hooked into the aper tures of the plates 29 and 30. These apertures in the upper edge of the plates 29 and 30 are utilized to adjust the tension of the I springs 24 and 25, which may be done by hooking the ends of the springs in the'apertures which are the proper distance from the ends of the Y legs 22 and 23 to give the springs the desired tension.

The modification shown in .Fig. 9 consists informing the anchor plates 29 and 30 with aperturedinclined edges shown positioned to face the arcs described by the legs 22 and 23 in their movement. ,The'springs 24 and 25 may then be attached so that their teng t0 the 'tion.

sion is unequal at the different points in the arc travelled by the ends of the Y legs 22 and j therefore are not in full tension at the same time thereby diminishing the effort" neces sary to force the lid into open or closed positions, while providing sufficient pull 011 both sides of the lid to prevent racking or such unequal wearing at the pivot points 18 and 19 'as would throw the 'lid 15 out of alignment with the edgesof its opening in the deck. This result can also be attained with the anchor means shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 6 by positioning the Y legs 22 and 23 at an angle to one another,'-for instance, so that the leg 22 and spring 24 are in the same plane just prior to the point where the lid reaches closed position, and the leg 23 and spring 25 are in the same plane just prior point where the lid reaches open posi- Attached to the forward edge of the lid is a latch plate 31 which has asuitable aperture frame member 45.

therein adapted to receive the latch bolt 32 which is secured by a case plate 33 to the under side of the transverse frame member 34. This latch bolt and case plate may be'of conventionalconstruction having the usual spring means incorporated therein and tensioned to force the latch bolt inthe'direction of the latch plate 31. One end'of the latch bolt 32 is provided with an eye 35 in which is hooked-a pull rod 36 which extends beneath the panel 37. into the passenger compartment 11, and is there attachedto a lever 38-which is suitably pivoted as at 39, Fig. 5, to the frame member 40 and provides means for operating the latch bolt 32 from the passenger compartment 11. The rear edge of the lid 15 is provided with a U-shaped socket 42, Fig. 8, in which is secured a spring member 13 which is adapted to expand andv grip the knob 44 secured to the rear side of the This latch serves to retain the lid in'open position. When the lid is applied to those vehicle bodies which have enclosed passenger compartments and have a vertically slidable rear window 50,Fig. 3, in such compartmenhiti is necessary that the remote control means for the latch bolt 32 pass around the path of the slide window and this is accomplished by forming a crank 51 on the end of a rod 52, Fig. 4, and attachingsuch crank to theeye 35 of the latch bolt and forming another crank 53 onthe opposite end of the rod 52 and securing the end ofxthe pull rod 36 to the end of this crank 53. V The rod 52 is pivotally secured by brackets 55 and 56 to the forward side of the frame mem- "a ber 34 and extends laterally from the latch bolt 32 a sufficient distance so that the end upon which the crank 53 is formed will permit the pull rod 36 to pass into the passenger compartment 11 at one side of the path of the sliding window 50. WVithin the passenger compartment and conveniently positioned for manual operation is a ipivoted lever or handle 57 which is pivoted to the side of the compartment as at 58 and to which the end ofthepull rod '36'is attached as at-59.

"If de'sirecha suitable back cushion 60 may be secured to the under side of the lid 15 and a suitable seat cushion 61 may be positioned in the loweradjacent portion of the section so that when the lid is opened, the lower edge of the seat cushion 60 comes to a rest at a point adjacent the rear edge of the seat cush ion 61. I I

Formal changes may be made in the specific embodiment of the invention clescribedwithout departing from the spiritor substance of the broad invention, the scope of which is commensurate with the appended claims. 7

What I claim is y 1. In a vehicle body having an enclosed deck portion, a movable lid for said deck, supportingmeans for. said lid pivotally secured to the side frame members of said body and adapted to carry said lid to a substantially vertical position when open and to a position conforming to the line of the deck when closed, a pair of coil springs each attached to said lid supporting means, anchor means for each of said springs secured to the frame members of said body, each of said anchor means having a plurality of points to which the ends of said .springs may be secured wherebythe tension of each of said springs may be individually adjusted for counter-balancing said lid in its movement with said supporting means.

2. In a vehicle body having an enclosed rear deck section, a movable lid for'said section, pivoted supporting means for said lid whereby it is rotated about an axis to open and close, a pair of tensio-ned springs each anchored to said body and each attached to said pivoted supporting. means, one of said springs being adjusted .to exert its greatest pull towardopenposition whensaid lid approaches and is in its closed position, and the other of said-springs being adjusted to exert its-greatest pull towardclosed position when saidlidapproaches and isin its open position.

3. In a vehicle body .havingan enclosed rear deck section, a. movable deck lid conforming to the lines of said body and giving access tosaidsection, a bracket secured to each side of said lid intermediate the ends thereof and each pivotally secured to theupright framemembersof said body and having arms and to the horizontal frame members spring members and arms cooperating to exert a contrary effort on said lid when approaching and in open position, and latoh means for retaining said lid in either open or closed position. 1

CHRIS E. SMITH. 

